Geek Shaykh - 3D Gadgets

Issue 78 March 2011

Don’t just admire 3D effects in the cinema. Ali Khimji shows you a range of 3D gadgets to be used while you are out and about.

No Need for Specsavers!

Nintendo 3DS

We have seen Nintendo’s handheld games console progress over the past three decades, from the original Game & Watch to the touch-screen DS, but the latest offering threatens to blow them all out of the water.

The list of features that the 3DS has is endless; glasses-free 3D effects, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, Wi-Fi connectivity, twin cameras to shoot 3D video, and an additional second screen.

The 3D screen also provides the opportunity to view 3DTV on the console and Nintendo have agreed deals with Eurosport and Sky to offer programmes that can be downloaded over Wi-Fi.

Fans of the N64 will be delighted at the games available on the 3DS; revamped versions of Ocarina of Time, Starfox 64 and Mario Kart will all be released this year.£219.99www.nintendo.com

WHY - The twin cameras open the door for Augmented Reality; games that incorporate real world elements

WHY NOT - Battery life lasts only three to five hours so you’ll spend most of your time attached to a power source

Adding New Dimensions

Fujifilm 3D W3 Camera

This camera uses a high precision lens control system to capture two images at the same time and create a 3D image that can be seen straightaway on the screen. It also allows you to capture 3D movie clips and you can still shoot 2D images and record 720p HD video.

If you do decide to shoot in 2D, you can use the two lenses to take two different photographs at the same time. Fujifilm also offer a ‘lenticular printing’ service, where images can be printed in all their 3D glory.£280www.fujifilm.com

WHY - No need for 3D glasses when viewing the images on screenWHY NOT - Once you buy one, you’ll be more inclined to splash out on a 3D TV

Emerging Screens

Minoru 3D Webcam

Most of you may remember that part in Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, where Willy Wonka takes Charlie and Mike Teavee to the Television Room and asks them to reach out and grab the chocolate bar from the screen.

With the Minoru 3D Webcam, you’ll be reaching into your computer to try and grab your friend’s possessions as you communicate through an additional dimension.

The webcam clips onto the top of your monitor and connects through USB, and you can take 3D images and videos which can be uploaded straight to YouTube.£39.99www.firebox.com

WHY - Be the next internet hit by starting your own ‘Diary of a 3D Man’

WHY NOT - Your videos will look psychedelic to those without 3D glasses

Who Needs a 3D TV?

Aiptek P8 3D Digital Photo Frame

The perfect accompaniment to the 3D digital camera also featured, this photo frame allows you to admire your 3D photos and videos anywhere around the house. The eight-inch screen will also upgrade your 2D photos to 3D, and you don’t need glasses to be in awe of them either.You can transfer pictures and video through USB, or by SD card.£169.99www.aiptek.eu

WHY - Internal batteries, so no need for power sourceWHY NOT - Embarrassing photos might appear when you have guests

You’re through to technical support, how can we help you?

RSS stands for ‘Really Simple Syndication’. You probably thought it would be something a bit more complex!

With so many news websites and blogs out there, it seems impossible to keep up with the sea of opinions and perspectives on every issue. If I want to find out something about the latest Wikileaks release, do I first visit the websites of the BBC, Time or Al-Jazeera?

Many of you may have seen a link on some websites to ‘News’ or ‘RSS’ feeds, with a familiar-looking logo accompanying it. RSS feeds allow you to see when websites have added new content, and you will be notifed through one centralised resource.

You can receive feeds through browsers or dedicated websites. Most browsers offer this option, and you should be able to see the icon or ‘RSS’ around the address bar.

If you’re going for the web-based alternative, Google Reader is the best offering. If you already have a Google account, you can log in straightaway and get started.

When you visit a website or blog that offers RSS feeds, simply click on the icon or ‘RSS’ and you’ll be taken to a page with a list of the recent updates to the site. There will be a yellow box at the top of the page, with the option ‘Subscribe to this feed’ which is for RSS feeds to your browser. There will be another option to subscribe to feeds through the dedicated websites.

Click on the relevant option, and don’t be surprised when people see you as the go-to guy on the latest news and views on current affairs!

Technostalgia

History of 3D Cinema

Most people will be looking forward to telling their grandkids about how they were one of the first to see Avatar in the cinema; the first 3D movie to be filmed entirely using stereoscopic cameras. However, 3D cinema can trace its origins back to the 19th century.

In 1894, William Friese-Greene, a British film pioneer, filed a patent for a 3D movie process; two films projected side by side on a screen, while the viewer looks through a stereoscope to converge the images.

In 1903, the Lumière brothers, inventors of cinema, released the 50 second film, ‘L’arrivée du train’. When watching it, the audience panicked because they thought the train would crash right into them!

During the 1950s, there was a boom in 3D cinema in the USA. However, it grew out of fashion as cinemas struggled with the complex equipment to exhibit the films.

There were a few attempts to revive the medium over the following decades. Remember Jaws 3D and Friday the 13th Part 3? Yeah, me neither.

Documentaries began to utilise the 3D format, but in 2004, when the Polar Express 3D earned 14 times more than the 2D release, studios renewed their interest.

Nowadays, it seems that every other film is released in 3D. But if the medium didn’t last the first time round, who’s to say that it will still be around in 10 years? As with most technological advances, only time will tell.